Five Common Home Heating Myths

December 31, 2015
By
Canoga Park Heating & Air Conditioning

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Winter has well and truly come for most of the United States, and as the
sweaters and scarves emerge, so does the advice on how to stay warm while
saving money during the cold season. Unfortunately, some of the accepted
wisdom about heating your home economically is nothing more than myth,
and could end up costing you money. Here is a look at some persistent
but problematic efficiency myths that are actually anything but efficient.

5 Common Home Heating Myths

Let us help clear up some confusion with these common home heating myths.

1. Programmable Thermostats Warm Homes Efficiently

Most people think that programmable thermostats will save them money because
they can be set to turn down automatically. In reality, programming your
thermostat is more convenient than making manual adjustments, but not
always more efficient. This is because we usually program thermostats
to anticipate our needs (e.g.; to warm the house before we get up each
morning) rather than turning the heat on exactly when we need it.

2. Fireplaces Can Help Heat Your Home While Saving You Money

Wood-burning fireplaces can provide a delightful aesthetic experience during
the winter months, but don’t expect them to save you money on heating
costs. Not only is wood itself expensive, but fireplaces don’t radiate
nearly as much heat as they release up the chimney. If you use a fireplace
in conjunction with your heater, the fireplace actually steals your heater-warmed
air for combustion, and sends the heat up the chimney with the smoke.

3. Crank Up the Thermostat for Faster Heating

Our tendency to crank a thermostat way up to warm a frigid home may be
instinct as much as the genuine belief that it will result in faster warming.
But the bottom line is that heaters have only two settings: on and off,
and they will not warm any faster if the temperature is set higher. When
we crank the thermostat up, the heater simply runs for a longer time and
uses more energy.

4. Leaving the Heat On Is More Efficient

We’ve all heard the myth that leaving the heater on is more efficient
than the cycle of heating and cooling that comes when you set the heater
to switch off regularly. It just isn’t true—having the heater
running constantly will ultimately consume much more energy than that
required to bring the temperature back to a comfortable place after the
heater has been off for a while.

5. Energy-Efficient Windows Will Save You Money

The myth of energy-efficient windows is tricky, because it is partly true.
Yes, modern energy-efficient windows will trap heat much better and lower
your energy costs. However, the savings will take a very long time to
add up. Replacing the windows in a home with high-efficiency windows can
cost thousands of dollars (depending on the size of the home and number
of windows), and it may be decades before the up-front expenses are off-set
by energy cost savings.

Have more questions about heating your home? Call us now and follow and like Canoga Park Heating and Air Conditioning online for great tips and the
latest news on all things heating and cooling!